Printing-telegraph receiver.



III SAT FFICE.

CHARLES Gr. ASHLEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR '10 GENERAL ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, LIMITED, OF TORONTO, CANADA, A CORPORATION.

PRINTING-TELEGRAPH RECEIVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1915.

Application filed November 21, 1910, Serial No. 593,320. Renewed September 24, 1914. Serial No. 863,384.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES Gr. ASHLEY, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, county'of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Printing-Telegraph Receivers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to receivers for rapid printing telegraph systems of the class in which a comparatively small number of printing types or equivalent devices are electromagnetically controlled and operated to produce legible characters, each of such types representing one or more component parts or elements of the characters; each character being produced by recording on a receiving surface in proper relation a plurality of imprints from the smaller number of component types representing the respective component parts of the completed character.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved form of receiver for such system. I produce a receiver in which mechanical motion is imparted to the printing pens wholly by electromagnetic means, thus producing a device, operable with maximum eiliciency through a wide range of adjustment, hence minimizing the mechanical adjustments of the device, as well as the adjustment of the current values of the operating impulses; in which sensitiveness and positiveness of operation are a maximum under all atmospheric conditions and the simplicity and rugged construction of which render it fool proof and commercially usable.

I realize these and other desirable features in my improved device by avoiding the use of springs or other mechanical means for imparting motion to the pens, for experiment has shown, that if the pens are held magnetically against spring tension in a nonoperative position and electromagnetically released and caused by said spring tension to assume an operative position, or vice versa, the relation between the operating current, polarizing field, spring tension and distance through which the pen moves in passing from a non-operative position to an operative position is such that to insure the proper operation of the device, their adjustment with relation to each other must correspond exactly with that determined by previous experiment, and as atmospheric conditions, thermal changes and wear of the type faces all tend to destroy such adjustment, it is extremely difficult to maintain.

In lieu of retractile or propelling springs, I provide such an arrangement of magnetic fields and pole pieces as to efitect the movement of the pen in either direction by magnetic force.

In the figures which accompany and form a part of this specification and in which like numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout: Figure 1 illustrates in diagram the circuit arrangements at both a transmitting and receiving station, together with the line conductors connecting them. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of my improved receiver apparatus showing the printing pens and their relation to the receiving tape. Fig. 3 is an elevation, partially in section, of my device. Fig. e is a top View of the same with the pole pieces and armatures and pens removed. Fig. 5 is an elevation partially in section of an alternative form of my device. Fig. 6 is a plan view of a further modification of my device. Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of the device of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 shows a specimen of trans mitting tape. Fig. 9 shows a detail of the type arrangement.

I have shown in Fig. l a conventional diagram of an operative circuit, in which the conductors S and 9 are the transmission line conductors, the transmitting devices being shown at the left, while the receiving devices of my improved type are indicated at the right.

selectively the operation of the printing magnets 25, 25 25 25* of the receiving,

device, by means of circuits closed through perforations in the transmitting tape 16, between the brushes lat, 1 1 14?, or 1& and brush 15, the controlling circuits being formed over the conductors 8 or 9 and the ground, the actuating electromotive force being supplied by the batteries 10, 11, 12 and 13 and the polarity of the actuating currents being controlled by spacing the perforations of the tape 16, opposite the various brushes 14, 14 14- or 145*. It will be observed subsequently that if a polarizing field be created by helix 5 and battery 7 to hold the pens 1, 2, 3 and 4 out of contact with a recording surface, that a circuit impulse of one polarity may be sent over conductor 8 and ground through the magnets, controlling Electrically considered, the object of the system of Fig. 1 is to control til pens 1 and 2 in series, and that dependent upon the polarity of the impulse, the polarizing effect of the helix 5 will for one of the pens be reversed and the pen, acting under the influence of its controlling heliX and the polarizing coil will strike a blow upon the receiving tape while. the other pen Wlll be more strongly restrained from contact with the receiving surface, Thus if a carbon paper be placed over the receiving surface, by impulses of variant polarity over either line and the ground, pens 1, 2, 3 or 1 may be selectively operated to imprint on the receiving surface its type face. The transmitting tape and arrangement of perforations for sending a few characters of an alphabet is shown in Fig. 8.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 1 inclusive, a U-shaped core 30 carries on one of its uprights a polarizing helix 5, between the terminals of which are connected in series a battery 7 and an adjustable resistance 6, as shown in Fig. 1. Four operating helices 25, 25 25 and 25*, are woundon tubular spools and positioned within the U-shaped core 80 as shown in Fig. 1. A series of openings are provided in the yoke portion of the core 30 as indicated by the dotted lines 1 of Fig. 8. The central openings through the helices 25 to 25* register with the openings in the core 30, and the helices 25 to 25 are rigidly attached to the surface of the core 30 to maintain such register. Armatures 20, 20 20 and 20 pass through the apertures in the core 30 and the hollow central portions of the operating helices 25 to 25 respectively, and a pin 3 passes through the core 30 and armatures 20 to 2O and serves as a pivot for said armatures. Pole pieces 23 and 24 are rigidly attached by means of screws to the extremities of the core 30 and serve to maintain a definite air gap for the polarizing electro-magnet.

A plurality of printing pens 1, 2, 3, 4 bearing type faces as shown in Fig. 2 are attached by means of screws as 1 to the armatures 20 to 20 respectively, and are bent to bring their respective type faces into such relation to each other as to form the operating symbol indicated in Fig. 9; The entire device just described is rigidly mounted upon a plate 21. This is hinged as indicated to a structural part 22 of the receiver frame, that the under portion may be readily accessible for adjustment of the pens or armatures and further to gain access to the re ceiving tape.

The helices 25 and 25 controlling pens 1 and 2 are placed in series with each other and connected to one of the line conductors 8, and ground, while the windings of the helices 25 and 25 controlling pens 3 and 4: are placed in series with each other and connected to the other line conductor 9 and ground.

The operation of my improved receiver is as follows :A polarizing field is established by means of the battery 7 and coil 5. All the arniatures 20 to 20* will be maintained against the pole face 23 and all the pens 1 to 41 will be restrained from contactwith the recording tape 17. A substantially closed magnetic path will be created through the several armatures, pole face 23 and core 30 for the magnet 5 and the armatures will all be polarized, under the influence of the polarizing magnet, with a pole of opposite polarity to that of pole face 23, on their extremities which are adjacent to that face. If now a perforation in the transmitting tape '16 which is drawn at a uniform rate between the brush 15 and the brushes 14 to 14: allows brush 15 to make contact with brush 14, battery 10 will be placed in series with conductor 8 and ground and an impulse of a definite polarity will be sent through operating magnets 25 and 25 the windings of which are so related to each other that their inclosed armatures for any given impulse of current will be magnetized variantly. Thus the polarity of one of the armatures 20 will be reversed from that polarity created therein by the polarizing magnet and it will be repelled by the polarizing magnet from face 23 and urged by the influence of its operating solenoid and the opposite pole face 24 of the polarizing magnet to rest against the pole face 24 thus causing its pen as 1 to strike a blow on the receiving surface 17 and through the influence of carbon paper 17 or electrochemical means record thereon its particular type face. The other pen 2 of the particular pair under discussion will have induced therein a polarity similar to that induced therein by the polarizing magnet and it will be more strongly res rained with its extremity adj accnt to pole face 23, thus maintaining its type face from contact with the recording surface. In like manner a perforation in the transmitting tape 16 which allows brush 1 1- and 15 to come in contact, will place over line 8 and ground and through operating magnets 25 and 25 a current impulse of the opposite polarity from that previously noted and thus cause the other pen 2 of the pair to be operated to strike the recording surface as previously described. In a similar m anner pen 3 or 1 may be selectively operated through perforations in the transmitting tape 16 spaced opposite brushes 14 or 14 The manner of forming legible characters is as follows: Assume that the transmitting tape 16 of Fig. 8 is being drawn between brushes 15 and 1% to 14* in the direction of the arrow of Fig. 8 at a constant rate, say, of inch in an arbitrary unit of time, say, of a second, or about 156 feet of tape per minute, and that the receiving tape 17 and carbon tape 17 is being drawn at the same lineal rate through the receiver of Fig. 6 and in the direction of the arrow of that figure, and that'the operating hellces of Fig. 6 are connected as shown in Fig. 1.

Arbitrarily call the tape space 3 inch and the letter height 4 inch. Then, in the operating symbol formed by the pens as arranged in the receiver, the 1 pen has two wings of g; inch each, the 2 pen is 4 long, the 3 pen has two wings of each, the 4 pen is 4 long; the 1 pen is 5 9, from 2 and from 4; the 2 pen is from 3 and from 4; the 3 pen is g g from 2 and 3 1 from 4. In the transmitting tape 16, there may be a hole every 3% inch but any hole may be omitted.

The first hole to meet the brushes is the hole 16 whose transverse location falls between brushes 15 and 14 permitting a current impulse over 13, 14", 15, ground, 25 25 9, operating pen 4. Assume now that the tape 17 of Fig. 6 was t inch to the right of its position shown and moving toward the left. The left line or vertical of the letter O of Fig. 6 has been imprinted upon the tape by the pen 4 as controlled by the hole 16 After a lapse of five time units, hole 16 reaches the transmitter brushes, permitting a current impulse over 12, 9, 25 25 ground, 15, 14 operating pen 3; since the receiving tape has moved five units or inch, the imprint made by the 4 pen has moved to the left and is under the left end of the 3 pen when the 3 pen is operated, hence the stroke of the 3 pen imprints the bottom line and the short vertical of the letter C of Fig. 6. After the lapse of two more time units, hole 16 reaches the transmitter brushes, permitting a current impulse over 10, 8, 25 25 ground, 15, 14 operating pen 1; since the receiving tape has moved inch farther to the left, the imprint of the 4 pen now registers with the vertical wing of the 1 pen and the imprint of the 1 pen now made in its vertical wing registers with the upper half of the 4 pen and in its horizontal wing prints the upper horizontal line of the letter C of Fig. 6. Thus bythe three holes, 16 16 16 of the tape 16, properly spaced laterally and trans versely in the tape 16, the letter C has been transmitted and printed upon the tape 17 as a legible Roman character.

After a lapse of only one time unit, or tape unit on either tape, hole 16 reaches the transmitter brushes, permitting a current impulse to operate the 4 pen again, the imprint now made being 8 units or 9; inch to the right of the imprint of the pen first made and 4 units or 4 of an inch to the" right of the 1 pen and 3 pen imprints, thus providing a space between letters by the proper lapse of time between impulses.

The 4 imprint made under control of the hole 16 is the left vertical of the letter H of Fig. 6. After a lapse of 4 time or tape units, hole 16 repeats the operation of the 4 pen, imprinting the right vertical of the letter H and after the lapse of two more time and tape units the hole 16 reaches the transmitter brushes, permitting a current over 11, 14 15, ground, 25 25 8, operating pen 2 and imprinting the horizontal line of the letter H of Fig. 6. Thus by the three holes 16 16 16 of the tape 16 properly spaced laterally and transversely in the tape 16, the letter H has been transmitted and printed upon the tape 17 as a legible Roman character. The letter I of Fig. 6 is produced by the hole 16 of the tape 16 of Fig. 8. Other characters may be formed and the tape 16 shows the complete word Chicago.

A space between words on the tape 17 is transmitted from a corresponding space without holes on the tape 16.

The correct relations of size and position of the four printing pens is shown in Fig. 9 in which, for com arison with the assumed dimensions hereto ore mentioned, the small squares would represent the dimensions of of an inch on each side.

The holes in the transmitting tape 16 may be much smaller than the scale shown in the figures to avoid the overlapping of the holes considered lineally of the tape whereby some of the brushes 14 to 14 might be short circuited, or the tape may be enlarged in its lineal direction and driven at a proportionally increased speed.

In Fig. 5Ihave illustrated an alternative form of my device in which the receiving magnets are mounted horizontally on the plate 21 and the pens, as pen 1, are attached to the major arm of the pivoted armature as 20 This adaptation is self evident and I believe needs no further explanation.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown a plan view and a sectional elevation of afurther modification of my device in which the polarizing magnet 5 is mounted on a central core 30, a U-shaped yoke 30 inclosing the polarizing magnet 5 and operating magnets 25 25 25 and 25 The pole face 23 is a plate and the pole face 24 consists of two plates. The armatures as 20 and 20* are pivoted in the yoke member and extend through the hollow central portion of the operating magnets, their lower ends extending between the pole faces 23 and 24 while their upper ends bear the printing pens 3 and 4.

The printing faces of the pens are arranged to form the symbol shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 9 and to record through the carbon tape 17 2 upon the tape 17 which rests on the anvil 17 It will be readily observed from the foregoing that in my improved device, by the use of an air gap, the width of which is maintained at a definite value for all the pen operating armatures at all times and under all operating conditions, that I may adjust the polarizing or restraining field by means ofthe resistance 6 through wide limits and vary the volume of the operating impulses without disturbing the correct'operation of the device. For as the armatures are of relatively small mass and are placed in their operating solenoids at the point of greatest flux density, their polarity will be reversed by a relatively weaker current than that producing polarization, and further the polarization magnet then acts through one pole to pull the armature into an operating posi tion while the opposite pole of the polarizing magnet acts to repel the armature into an operating position, thusincreasing byits field the effect of the field produced by the operating impulse. Again, due to the small mass in which the polarity must be reversed, the small radius on which it is hung and to its low hysteretic constant, a high speed of operation of the pens is assured.

It will be observed that the adjustment of the pens with respect to the receiving surface may be made without disturbing the operating air gaps.

While I have disclosed three embodiments of my improved device, I do not Wish to be limited to these particular types or form as it is to be understood that I may make numerous changes in my device without departing from the spirit or narrowing the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by U. S.

Letters Patent is as follows:

1. In a printing telegraph system, a receiver comprising a plurality of printing pens, a receiving surface, electro-magnetic means for withdrawing said pens from contact with said receiving surface and a fur ther electromagnetic means associated with each of said pens for selectively propelling said pens to strike said receiving surface.

2. In a printing telegraph system, a receiver comprising a plurality of printing pens, a receiving surface, an electromagnet for withdrawing said pens from contact with said receiving surface and a further electromagnetic helix for each of said pens whereby a desired pen may have its magnetic member reversed in magnetic polarity and thereby cause said withdrawing electromagnet to become a pen-propelling electromagnet for said desired pen whereby said desired pen is propelled selectively to impress its imprint upon said receiving surface.

3. A receiver for use in printing telegraph systems comprising a plurality of printing pens, a receiving surface, magnetic means common to all of said pens and adapted to withdraw said pens normally out of contact with said receiving surface and further magnetic means associated with said pens severally whereby a desiredpen may be reversed with respect to said common magnetic means selectively to cause the desired pen to impress its type face upon said receiving surface.

I 4:. A receiver for use in printing telegraph systems, comprising a plurality of pivoted armatures, a recording surface, an electromagnet adapted to retain said armatures in a normal position, a plurality of operating solenoids, each surrounding one of said armatures, a printing type attached to one extremity of each of said armatures, said solenoids being adapted when energized to cause said armature to assume a position other than normal and thereby impress their type face on said recording surface.

5. A receiver for use in printing telegraph systems comprising a single polarizing magnet, a plurality of operating solenoids, a pivoted armature within each of said solenoids and free to move therein, a recording surface, a printing type carried on one eX- tremity of each of said armatures, said polarizing magnet being adapted to maintain all of said armatures in a normal posi tion thus retaining said type out of contact with said recording surface, and said sole- 9 noids when energized being each adapted to cause its particular inclosed armature to be released from the influence of said polarizing magnet and assume an alternative position under the influence of said solenoid and said polarizing magnet to cause the type face which it bears to record its impression on said-recording surface.

6. A receiverfor use in printing telegraph systems comprising a single polarizing magnet, the core and poles of which form a par tially closed U, a plurality of operating solenoids rigidly sustained within the U-shaped core of said polarizing magnet, a pivoted armature Within each of said solenoids and free to move therein through a distance limited by the air gap of said U-shaped core of saidpolarizing magnet, a recording surface, a printing type carried on one extremity of each of said armatures, said polarizing magnet being adapted to maintain all of said armatures with their free ends substantially-against one of the pole faces of said U-shaped core, thus restraining said type from contact with said recording surface, and said solenoids when energized being each adapted to cause its particular inclosed armature to be released from the influence of said polarizing magnetand assume under the influence of both said polarizing magnet and said solenoid an alternative position with its free extremity against the other pole face of said U-shaped core, to cause the type face which it bears to strike said recording surface.

7 In a printing telegraph receiver, a pair of continuously magnetized poles opposingly positioned and of opposite polarities; a pen armature normally magnetized to be attracted by the first of said poles and repelled by the second of them; an operating solenoid for said pen armature adapted to reverse its polarity; and a pen operated by said armature.

8. In a printing telegraph receiver, a pair of continuously magnetized poles opposingly positioned and of opposite polarities; a plurality of pen armatures each normally magnetized to be attracted by the first of said poles and repelled by the second of them; an operating solenoid for each of said pen armatures and adapted to reverse its polarity; and a pen operated by each of said armatures.

9. In a printing telegraph receiver, a pivoted pen member movable in either direction by magnetic attraction, two continuously magnetized poles adjacent to a movable portion of said pen member and of variant polarities, and means for polarizing he pen member to repel either of the said continuously magnetized poles.

10. In a printing telegraph receiver a continuously magnetized pole-piece; a pen member magnetized to be repelled by said polepiece; a line circuit; a helix in said line circuit and adapted to reverse the polarity of said pen member.

11. In a printing telegraph receiver a fixed polepiece; a movable pen armature; a field magnet polarizing said polepiece and pen armature similarly so that they repel each other; and means for reversing the polarity of the pen armature whereby it will be attracted by the said polepiece.

12. In a printing telepragh receiver a fixed polepiece; a movable pen armature; a field magnet polarizing said polepiece and pen armature similarly so that they repel each other; and means for reversing the polarity of the pen armature whereby it will be attracted by the said polepiece; a receiving surface; and a pen associated with said pen armature and operating to print upon said surface when said pen armature is moved in,

response to the attraction of said polepiece.

13. In a printing telegraph receiver a fixed polepiece; a movable pen armature; a field magnet polarizing said polepiece and pen armature similarly so that they repel each other; a line transmission circuit; a helix in said circuit and actingto reverse the polarity of said pen armature whereby it will be attracted by said polepiece.

14. In a printing telegraph receiver a fixed polepiece; a movable pen armature; a field magnet polarizing said polepiece and pen of said pen armature whereby it will be attracted by said polepiece; a receiving surface; and a pen associated with said pen armature and operating to print upon said surface when said pen armature is moved in response to the attraction of said polepiece.

15. In a printing telegraph receiver, a plurality of pivoted pen members, movable in either direction by magnetic attraction, two continuously magnetized poles adjacent to a movable portion of said pen member and of variant polarities, and means for polarizing selectively any pen members to repel either of said continuously magnetized poles.

16. In a printing telegraph receiver, a continuously magnetized pole piece, a plurality of pen members magnetized to be repelled by said pole piece, a line circuit, a plurality of helices in said line circuit each associated with one of said pen members and adapted to reverse the polarity of their associated pen members.

17. In a printing telegraph receiver, a fixed pole piece, a plurality of movable pen armatures, a field magnet polarizing said pole piece and said pen armatures similarly so that they repel each other, and means for reversing the polarity of any pen armature selectively whereby it will be attracted by said pole piece.

18. In a printing telegraph receiver, a fixed pole piece, a plurality of movable pen armatures, a field magnet polarizing said pole piece and said pen armatures similarly so that they repel each other, and means for reversing the polarity of any pen armature selectively whereby it will be attracted by said pole piece, a receiving surface, a pen as sociated with each of said pen armatures and operating to print upon said surface when said armatures are moved in response to the attraction of said polepiece.

19. In a printing telegraph receiver a fixed polepiece, a plurality of movable pen armatures, a field magnet polarizing said pole piece and said pen armatures similarly so that they repel each other, a line transmission circuit, a plurality of helices in said circuit, and acting to reverse the polarity of said pen armatures whereby they will be attracted by said pole piece.

Signed by me at Ioronto, county of York, and Province of Ontario, in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES G. ASHLEY.

Witnesses:

E. S. LORIMER; F. E. MOLDON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G. 

